Tampa Bay Prepares For Green Beer, Slime & Mermaids This Weekend

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN TAMPA BAY

The events and descriptions below were compiled by Tampa Bay Times entertainment and events reporter Sharon Wynne. Click Here to check out all of the weekend events courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times.

St. Patrick’s Day: Though St. Patrick’s Day falls on Sunday this year, this whole week is awash in green parades, green beer and even a green river. Tampa will once again dye the Hillsborough River a deep shade of kelly green on Saturday at the River O’Green Festat Curtis Hixon Park with live music (one band is named Paddy O’Furniture). There will also be food trucks, beer, a family scavenger hunt, leprechaun costume contest, cabbage toss, corn hole and bicycle valet parking. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday. Also on Saturday night is the Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day night paradein Ybor City. And on Sunday itself the streets will be blocked off on Beach Drive in St. Pete for Courigan’s 14th annual block partywith a semitrailer truck that converts into a 40-seat outdoor bar, live music, charcoal grill, corn hole, beer truck, mobile bars and Irish food inside. 10 a.m.-3 a.m. Sunday.1 Beach Drive SE, St. Petersburg.

Click Here for more information on Tampa Bay area St. Patty's Day Events!

Conventions

Slime Rodeo: Here’s a first: A fan convention for people who like to buy, make and play with slime! The goo that has become a social media sensation. It's easily made with Elmers glue and contact lens solution and there are Intagram celebrities with millions of followers because of it. Tickets at the Tampa Convention Center have sold out for this noon-6 p.m. Saturday but you can buy a “Twilight Ticket” for admission starting at 2:30 p.m. for $15 at slimerodeo.com or $20 at the door. There will be vendors, contests, games and you can bring your own slime creations to compete in the “Slimey” awards.

Festivals

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival: Returning for its fifth year running on weekends this Saturday through April 28. Nibble your way through 13 food cabins around the park, with more than 100 wines, craft beers and cocktails to wash it all down. The concert lineup is hearty, too. This weekend brings rockers Daughtry at 7 p.m. Saturday and Grammy-winning sibling trio The Band Perry with electro pop duo Dream Chief at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Concerts

Travis Scott: Fans in Tampa may be skeptical after he canceled a November show at Amalie Arena just hours before the doors were supposed to open. Considering he recently got caught up in tabloid hell after rumors he cheated on wife-to-be Kylie Jenner (and, according to TMZ, may have canceled a show in Buffalo, N.Y., while he dealt with the fallout), we might be skeptical. This new tour’s production values are next-level, but the lineup has changed since November, with only Sheck Wes (Mo Bamba) sticking around as an opener. It could be telling that Sunday’s show, unlike the one last fall, is not yet sold out. 8 p.m. Sunday. Amalie Arena, $26.20 and up. (813) 301-2500. Amaliearena.com.

Bob Seger: In his 50-year career, he has averaged only about one Tampa gig per decade, give or take. But the heartland rock legend is coming back to Florida for one last strut down Mainstreet for what he's calling a farewell tour with radio staples like Against the Wind, Travelin’ Man, Turn the Page and Hollywood Nights. 8 p.m. Friday. Amalie Arena. $75 and up.

Broadway Tonight -- The Florida Orchestra: The orchestra is bringing in vocalists to perform a showcase of Broadway favorites old and new, including Circle of Life from The Lion King, Defying Gravity from Wicked, and Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita. William Waldrop conducts. 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. $18 and up. floridaorchestra.org

Art

Historic Kenwood Artist Enclave tour: Full of cute bungalows and brick-lined streets, St. Petersburg’s Historic Kenwood is home to 21 artists and 12 studios. They’re kind enough to open them up every year so we can discover the work of painters, printmakers, sculptors, photographers, ceramic artists, fiber artists and jewelers on the self-guided tour. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Free.

Stage

The Roommate: Just in time for Women’s History Month, American Stage opens The Roommate, written, directed by and starring women. Jen Silverman’s dark comedy is a classic mismatched personalities set up, with a twist. Divorced, middle-aged Sharon seeks a roommate to share her Iowa home. Robyn, a woman with a mysterious past, needs a place to start over. A friendship builds despite their differences. Opening performances on Friday are sold out. Runs through April 7. 163 Third St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 823-7529. Americanstage.org

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged): A month after Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, Jobsite Theater could use a good laugh. Enter The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), opening Friday. The company attempts to perform all 37 of Shakespeare’s works in less than two hours, so the original “bad boys of abridgement” are back to pratfall and pun their way through the Bard. Runs through April 7 at the Straz Center, Tampa. $29.50 and up. (813) 229-7827. Jobsitetheater.org

Opera -- The Pearl Fishers: Carmen is Georges Bizet’s most famous opera, but the French composer was still in his early 20s when he wroteThe Pearl Fishers, a lesser-performed work that nevertheless has endured. The story of a veiled priestess (Susan Hellman Spatafora) and the pearl diver who loves her (Samuel Hall) is filled with lush South Pacific costumes and imagery and will make its Opera Tampa debut at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday. $22.50 and up. Straz Center. (813) 229-7827. Strazcenter.org

Magic

Adam Trent: You can get a pretty good taste of Adam Trent’s magical stylings from the comfort of your couch, via 10 streaming-on-Netflix episodes of his seriesThe Road Trick. But there’s nothing like seeing it in person, courtesy of a high-tech stage show produced by some of the creative minds behind hit tourThe Illusionists (with whom Trent has toured). Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St. in Clearwater, at 8 p.m. Friday. $39.50 and up. (727) 791-7400. Atthecap.com

Podcast

And That’s Why We Drink: The hosts of hit podcast bring a slight divergence from the tried-and-true true crime podcast format. It’s been hailed by publications like Newsweek and the New York Times as the perfect mix of horrifying and hilarious. It features true accounts of crime and paranormal activity, which are discussed over a hearty serving of boxed wine and milkshakes. Their motto: “The world’s a scary place. And that’s why we drink!” 8 p.m. Saturday. Straz Center. $22.50 and up.

Food

Chili Blaze: Talk about a four-alarm fire. For 18 years, the firefighters of Pinellas Park have been raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association with the Chili Blaze competition. More than 40 cooks will be competing for bragging rights, and a $10 armband will let you taste all their creations. There will be entertainment by the Fil Pate Trio and the headliner, country artist Greg White Jr. The night ends with fireworks. 6 p.m. Friday at the England Brothers Bandshell Park, 5010 81st Ave. N, Pinellas Park. $10. (727) 458-8204.

FREE AND CHEAP

Florida Mermaid Festival: Florida’s most famous celebrities, let’s face it, are the Weeki Wachee mermaids. This two-day festival celebrates their history with a huge play area for children, an array of food and craft vendors, live bands, kayak competitions, a mermaid costume contest and dragon boats on Sunday. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of Hernando County Parks and Recreation. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Linda Pedersen Park at Jenkins Creek, 6300 Shoal Line Blvd., Hernando Beach. $5 admission.

Bloom-N-Chalk Fest: This weekend is the 11th year Safety Harbor invites artists to draw on the streets and sidewalks of its downtown with chalk. There will also be live entertainment, vendors and a kid’s garden for chalk art. Saturday-Sunday. 750 Main St., Safety Harbor. Free.

THIS WEEK IN DRESS-UP

Clearwater Comic Con: Besides the leprechaun costumes at the St. Patrick’ Day parties, this is going to be cosplay center. And unlike other comic cons, this one is free admission. The sixth annual comic convention at the Clearwater Public Library will have artists, vendors and a costume contest and they did issue a warning to keep the costumes G-rated since this is in a library. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Clearwater Public Library, 100 N Osceola Ave., Clearwater. Free.